Steele the Best
by angelsinstead
Summary: First part of a series.  This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico.   They must continue to appear happily wed.
1. Meet Mother

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter One~*~

Laura and Remington had been "married" less than one month. Laura was extremely nervous as her mother was coming by for a visit and she would be meeting Remington for the very first time. "Really, Laura. The apartment looks just fine," he said as she rearranged the coffee table for the fourth time.

"Everything should look perfect or Mother will complain," Laura replied. "So, how do I look?"

"Marvelous," he responded. "New dress?"

"Yes, Mother's favorite color. Red."

Just then, the doorbell rang. "Ohhh, no! It's her!" Laura gasped.

"Relax, Laura," Remington chuckled. "Everything looks fine."

The two of them went to answer the door. Remington pulled it open as Laura stood close beside him. He had taken her hand just to reassure her.

Remington was pleasantly surprised by Laura's mother. In her advanced age, she was still extremely pretty. Her dark hair with streaks of light gray was pulled back in a neat, yet not prim bun and her blue eyes were sparkling. In a way, she looked very much like Laura.

"Laura!" she said tearfully, hugging Laura fiercely. "My baby girl!"

"I missed you, Mother," Laura said.

"I missed you, too, dear," she responded. "And who's this? Your butler?"

Mrs. Holt was glaring at Remington disapprovingly. Remington shifted where he stood in discomfort under her piercing stare.

"No, Mother. This is my husband- Remington," Laura explained.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Holt," Remington said with a smile, shaking Laura's mother's hand. "Laura has told me all about you."

Mrs. Holt glanced over at Laura and said, "He's handsome."

"Yes, he is," Laura agreed softly.

"I don't mean to take off this way, but I'm sure the two of you have lots of catching up to do, so I'm just going to go into the kitchen now and begin preparing dinner," Remington said before exiting the room.

Laura and her mother took a seat upon the couch to talk. "You mean he cooks?" her mother asked in amazement. "How did you manage that?"

"I can't cook to save my life and he's a great cook, so usually it's Remington who does all the cooking."

"Frances's husband never cooks," Mrs. Holt stated.

"There's a big difference between Donald and Remington, Mother," Laura said, beginning to get angry. As usual, her mother was comparing her sister's husband to Remington.

"Is there? Tell me, Laura... why did he finally marry you? You are pregnant, aren't you? I knew it!" Mrs. Holt insisted.

"No, Mother. I am not pregnant. We felt our relationship had hit a certain point when we felt it was time to get married."

"Why wasn't I asked to come to the wedding?" she asked Laura in a hurt voice.

"Well, Mother... it was a sudden thing. No one really came but our secretary."

"You invited your secretary, but not your own mother?" Mrs. Holt gasped in shock.

"Ohhh, Mother... don't be hurt. I swear, I would have invited you, but it happened so quickly. I didn't even have a proper wedding gown."

"Do you have any pictures of the wedding?"

"Well, no... but we did take one picture while on our honeymoon," Laura sighed.

"I tell you, Laura, you are so unorganized! What will you have to show your children?" Mrs. Holt scolded.

"Laura, will you come here a second?" Remington suddenly called out from the kitchen.

"Alright!" Laura hollered back.

Then to Mrs. Holt she said, "Excuse me a moment, Mother."

Laura entered the kitchen to see Remington standing at the stove stirring the vegetables. "How's everything going with your mother?" he asked.

"Not very well," Laura commented, rolling her eyes.

"You'll survive," he said with a chuckle.

A smile came to her face. "Something smells like food," she said as she glanced around the kitchen.

"Yes, I made a steak dinner, with vegetables and pudding," he told her.

"Mother will like that."

"Yoo hoo, Laura!" Mrs. Holt cried out, appearing in the kitchen.

Remington turned to smile at Mrs. Holt. "So, tell me, Laura... when are you having children?" Mrs. Holt prompted her daughter.

"Mrs. Holt, Laura and I haven't decided yet when we will have children," Remington spoke up, coming to Laura's rescue.

"Frances and Donald have three children," Mrs. Holt reminded.

"Yes, we know, Mother... but I don't have to follow in her footsteps. Remington and I have only been married about a month. Perhaps we would like some time alone together first before we make our major decisions."

"But Laura, you aren't getting any younger!"

"I'm only going to be twenty-eight!" Laura gasped.

Remington knew it would be best if he tried to ease the tension, so he said, "Well, ladies, dinner is finished now."

~*~o~*~

As they ate their dinner, Mrs. Holt commented to Laura, "He's a good cook."

"So, Mrs. Holt, how long do you plan to stay?" Remington politely asked.

"A week or two," replied Mrs. Holt. "I hope that won't be an inconvience."

"Ohhh... ohhhh no," Laura murmured as she gave Remington a secret look.

~*~o~*~

Laura walked into Remington's bedroom wearing a long white nightgown, a robe, and house slippers. He lay on the bed, reading a book. He took one look at her attire and chuckled.

"Got armor on under that, eh?" he teased.

Laura looked uneasy as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't like this sleeping arrangement," she complained.

"Well, you can't very well sleep on the couch with your mother. She might think that just a little strange. So, we're just going to have to keep this up until she leaves."

"I can't sleep in the same bed as you," Laura informed him.

"Why not?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just can't."

"Afraid you can't control yourself once you're in bed with me, eh?"

"Mr. Steele!" Laura squeeked.

"Is everything alright in there, Laura?" Mrs. Holt called out from the living room.

"Yes... yes, Mother. Everything's just fine," Laura called back nervously.

Just then the telephone rang upon Remington's nightstand. Laura made a run to answer it, but Remington said charmingly, "I'll get that, darling..."

Remington raised the receiver to his ear and said, "Hello."

"I'm going to kill your wife, Mr. Steele," a male voice threatened menacingly and then suddenly the line had gone dead.

A strange look on his face, Remington slowly replaced the receiver back onto it's hook. "Who was that?" asked Laura, seeing an odd expression cross his face.

"Wrong number," Remington replied. "Now turn off the light now, Laura. I suggest we get a good night's rest."

Quietly, Laura switched off the light. The room was almost-pitch dark as she pulled off her robe and climbed into the comfortable bed beside her "husband." In the near-darkness, Remington turned over to look at her.

"Don't I get a good night kiss, darling?" he whispered.

"Yes," she agreed. She softly kissed him, but Remington tugged her closer to deepen the kiss. He kissed her gently with a blend of respectable tenderness and a growing hunger.

Slowly then they pulled away to move to their own sides of the bed. "Sleep tight, darling," he murmured.

"Good night," Laura said with a yawn.


	2. Danger

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter Two~*~

The next morning when Laura and Remington had awakened, Mrs. Holt had already started breakfast. "Something smells delicious," Remington said with a contented sigh, reaching over for Laura who was snuggled against his side.

"Quit that!" Laura exclaimed, rolling away from him quickly.

"It's your fault. You kept hugging me all night," Remington said with a chuckle.

"I did not!" Laura denied strongly.

"Ohhh Laura, why deny it? Maybe you were dreaming, but you did hug me. You're lucky I didn't lose my head and do something drastic."

"How dare you?" From now on you better keep your hands off of me, Mr. Steele!" Laura exclaimed as she slid out of bed.

"Laura, is everything alright in there?" Mrs. Holt called out from the other room.

"Yes, Mother. Everything's fine," Laura answered sweetly.

Laura turned to glare at Remington. "You better watch yourself, lambchop." She then turned on her heel and walked into the bathroom.

"Alright, darling... whatever you say," Remington assured her before putting on his robe and walking into the kitchen.

"Ohhh, hi," Mrs. Holt greeted Remington. "Where is Laura?"

"She's in the bathroom getting dressed. Do you need some help with breakfast? I could set the table," Remington offered.

"Why yes... thank you," said Mrs. Holt as she looked at Remington.

"I'd like to ask you a question, Remington. Are you and Laura- I mean, do you and Laura have a lot of arguments?" Mrs. Holt questioned.

"No, not usually. We do have our disagreements now and then, but it's nothing to worry about," spoke Remington as Laura came walking into the room.

"Ohhh Laura ~ darling, sit down and I'll get you some breakfast," Remington said to his lovely 'wife.'

"Thank you, lambchop," Laura said, smiling sweetly at her handsome 'husband.'

"Please sit down, too, Mrs. Holt," Remington said with a smile, pulling out a chair for her as well.

"Ohhh, how nice," Mrs. Holt said as she took a seat at the table next to her daughter.

"Remington was telling me how you two get along so well. That's so nice to hear," spoke Mrs. Holt.

Hearing her mother's words, Laura suddenly choked on a piece of bacon in her mouth. She reached for her glass of orange juice and took a little sip. "Yes, Mother, it's true. We do get along just great," Laura forced herself to say.

"Frances and Donald always get along so well, too," Mrs. Holt interjected.

Suddenly Laura had lost her appetite. "Mother, Remington and I have to get to the office and begin our day. Feel free to do whatever you like while we are gone," Laura said.

"Ohhh? Maybe I'll go with you to work," said Mrs. Holt with a brilliant smile.

Laura felt faint as she looked to Remington for help. "Mrs. Holt, I believe that is impossible. Our jobs are much too dangerous, and we wouldn't want to cause you any sort of trouble," Remington explained.

"I see. Well, maybe I'll just got shopping then instead," said Mrs. Holt.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mother," Laura said as she quickly picked up her coat and her purse.

"Come on, Remington," Laura urged as Remington threw his coat over his arm.

"See you later, Mrs. Holt," he said as Laura was practically dragging him away.

"But aren't you going to get dressed?" Mrs. Holt asked Remington.

Remington and Laura looked down at Remington who still had on his robe, pajama bottoms, and his house slippers. "Ahhh yes, I think I better," spoke Remington with a charming grin.

Laura giggled softly, greatly amused. Remington turned to look at her, and she gave him a little smile. "Hurry up, lambchop," she told him. "Or we'll be late for work."

"Yes, darling," he agreed. "But would you like to help?"

Laura's smile faded and a small frown took it's place. "No, lambchop. Not this time."

"Ohhh, go on, dear. I won't be offended," Mrs. Holt encouraged Laura.

Reluctantly then, Laura followed her 'husband' into the bedroom. When she closed the door behind them, she let him have it. "Now look at the mess you've gotten us into!" Laura snapped.

Remington shrugged. "Well, either watch or turn your back," he said with a smirk, dropping his robe and reaching down to pull down his pajama bottoms.

With a loud gasp, Laura quickly turned her back. She was standing in front of the window as she looked at the lovely scene below. Suddenly a shot was fired at her through the window. A bullet buzzed passed her ear and shattered a lamp beside Remington's bed. Without a moment's hesitation, Remington threw himself over Laura, pushing her to the floor in protection.

As he lay on top of her, he gazed into her face with concern. "Darling, are you alright?" he asked.

"I- I think so," Laura answered as she was still in a state of shock. "What in the world happened?"

"Someone took a shot at you, love."

"What's going on in here?" Mrs. Holt demanded as she suddenly burst into the room.

"Nothing," Remington replied as he carefully got up from the floor where he had been lying on top of Laura and helped her to her feet as well. "I accidentally broke a lamp."

"Newlyweds! They're all the same!" Mrs. Holt exclaimed as she left the room.

Laura started to laugh when she suddenly realized Remington was wearing only his boxers and a t-shirt. Remington just smiled as he reached for his pants and began pulling them on. "I wonder why someone would try to shoot me..." Laura spoke as she was just more than a little worried.

"I don't know, Laura. But you better be extra careful. If anything happens to you, I'll be deported."

"Ohhh you!" Laura gasped, reaching for a pillow and smacking him with it. "You self-centered, miserable swine!"

"Now, now. You better watch that temper, Mrs. Steele," Remington teased her.

~*~o~*~

Fifteen minutes later, they had arrived at the office. Mildred stood waiting near the door for Mr. Steele. "An urgent message has just arrived for you, Chief!" she exclaimed, handing Remington the sheet of folded notebook paper.

Laura left for her office while Remington stood there, reading the message. Remington's eyes widened as he was scanning the paper. "Laura!" he gasped as he dropped the note soundlessly to the floor.

A puzzled look crossed Mildred's face as she watched Remington run from the room toward Laura's office. She reached for the note, her mouth agape as she began to read it aloud:

"Mr. Steele, this morning was only practice! By midnight tomorrow, your wife will be dead! Signed : A.W.M."


	3. She Knows

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter Three~*~

In Laura's office, Remington was pacing the floor left and right. "What's gotten into you?" Laura questioned, confused by his odd behavior.

"I think you and I need another vacation. Let's say we leave for Mexico. I'll call the airport," Remington suggested as he was reaching for the phone.

Laura quickly took the phone from him before he could make the call. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but we aren't going to Mexico. Mother's here," she reminded.

"She can come along. The weather will do her good," Remington insisted as he once again reached for the phone.

"What about the agency?"

"It can wait," he stated as he was beginning to dial.

"No, it can't," Laura protested as she disconnected his call. "We have a lot of clients we need to see to."

"Then let's take the day off; just you and I, and we'll take a drive somewhere so that no one will be able to find us."

"Sounds lovely," Laura sighed. "But again, we do have a responsibility to the agency. Perhaps we can do that after Mother leaves."

"It'll be too late by then," Remington muttered under his breath, slamming out of the room.

"Men!" Laura groaned with a tiny smile.

Ten minutes later, while Laura was catching up on her paperwork, Remington strode back into the room. He pulled up a chair beside her desk and sat down right beside her.

Slowly she turned to face him and gave him a questioning look. "What are you doing?" she inquired.

"I thought you might need my assistance."

She continued to stare at him a few seconds and then quietly returned to her duties. She suddenly sensed Remington reading over her shoulder. "I can't work with you reading over my shoulder!" Laura complained. "Don't you have something to do?"

"I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?" Remington asked, trying to act all innocent.

"Yes, you are disturbing me!" Laura blurted out. "Can't you just leave me alone for awhile?"

"But I wanted to spend some time with my beautiful little wife," Remington said with a smile.

"We both know that isn't the case... Besides, flattery will get you no where. So, tell me, Mr. Steele, what gives?"

"Mistrust, eh?" asked Remington as he raised one dark eyebrow.

"You could call it that."

"Really, Laura, you should always regard your husband as honest. Frances would," Remington teased.

"To hell with Frances! Donald isn't mysterious! The man is a DENTIST!" Laura shouted as she suddenly lost it "Now, tell me what the hell's going on or kindly leave my office!"

"Laura, you don't understand-," Remington attempted to explain as he grasped her by the upper arms.

"Take your hands off me," Laura said in a firm, calm voice.

Just then, Mildred came rushing in. "Sorry to barge in this way, boss, but here's another urgent message that just arrived," she explained.

"What is this with all these urgent messages?" Laura asked suspiciously as she reached for the note that Mildred had just handed Remington.

"No, Laura, I'm afraid this is private," he said, leaving for his own office before she could get her hands on that note.

"Mr. Steele," Remington read aloud to himself as he sat in his own office at his desk. "Keep an eye on your beauiful wife. Very soon, I will end her life. Signed : A.W.M."

Just then, Remington heard a loud, shrill scream. He jumped up from his desk and ran toward Laura's office. "Don't move, Laura!" he warned, seeing a huge rattlesnake coiled up at Laura's feet.

Cautiously, Remington reached for the handgun he carried in his pocket. Withdrawing it quickly, he took careful aim and shot the menacing snake in the head. Very slowly then, he approached the snake. Examining it closely, he found that it's deadly fangs had been removed leaving it therefore virtually harmless.

"What's going on?" Remington asked a frightened Laura.

"Mildred brought a package in here for me. After she walked out, I heard a hissing sound, so I dropped the box. The lid came open, and the snake slithered out," Laura said in shaky voice. "Someone meant to kill me!"

"The snake had been defanged."

"Defanged?" Laura gasped.

"Laura, tell me, do you have any enemies I am not aware of?"

"Only Shannon, but she's behind bars. Or perhaps it's another jealous lady from your past?"

The telephone ringing suddenly startled them. "I'll get it!" Laura stated, running toward the phone.

"Hello," said Mrs. Holt as Laura answered the phone.

"Mother?" Laura gasped.

"Hello, dear. I thought I would just check up on you. How is everything going?"

"Fine, Mother. Just fine. Uhhhh... we have a client here, so I gotta go," Laura lied quickly to her mother.

"Okay, dear. Well, call me if you need me. Good bye," Mrs. Holt said before ending the call.

"Bye, Mother," Laura said before replacing the receiver back onto the phone.

"Your mother I presume," Remington said as he raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, she was just checking up on us."

"Did you tell her?"

"No, I didn't."

"Is everything alright, Laura?" Remington asked as he could see how vulnerable and frightened she was although she tried to hide it from him.

Laura suddenly threw herself into Remington's arms. "I'm scared," she said in a small whisper. "And I don't know what to do."

"Ohhh Laura, you know you are safe with me. I won't let anyone harm you," Remington swore as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Who do you think is doing this?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. But don't you worry, darling, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Thanks, lambchop," she said giving him a huge grin, then a warm kiss on the cheek. Looking at her, he hoped he could stay true to his word.


	4. Danger Multiplied

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter Four~*~

That evening Laura and Remington arrived home at six o'clock. During the entire day, they had only had one case. A little girl, aged seven, came in with tears streaming down her cheeks. When questioned, she asked Remington if he'd rescue her cat, Muffy, from a tree he had climbed. Remington went out with the girl, climbed the tree, and retrieved the frightened kitten. Remington had received several scratches and a painful bite in the process, but ultimately Muffy was safe and the little girl was happy.

When Laura and Remington walked through the door, Mrs. Holt looked at the scratches and let out a gasp. "Laura! You didn't-! On the job?"

Remington started to chuckle, and Laura smacked his arm. "I didn't do it, Mother," Laura insisted. "Muffy did!"

"Who's Muffy?" Mrs. Holt questioned. "The secretary?"

"No- Mildred," replied Laura, becoming flustered.

"It's a cat," Remington spoke up.

"Ohhh, a cat named Mildred," Mrs. Holt concluded.

"Yeah, something like that," Laura chuckled.

Just then, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Remington said, walking over to pick up the receiver.

"Hello," Remington spoke, his voice a sigh of irritation.

"Tonight's the night, Steele. Watch your wife," the mysterious voice threatened.

"Hey, now, you listen here-," Remington growled, but the caller had hung up.

Remington replaced the receiver upon it's hook angrily. Laura suddenly went pale, and Remington reached for her to hold her close. "It's alright, love," he said gently as he ran a tender caress down Laura's back.

"Who was that?" Mrs. Holt questioned, glaring at Remington as if it was his fault Laura was so upset.

"A prank caller," Remington quickly answered.

"Grrr... people nowdays!" Mrs. Holt snapped, stomping her foot.

~*~o~*~

That night, after Mrs. Holt had fallen asleep on the couch, Remington asked Laura if she would like to go out for a walk. "I dunno," Laura said softly.

"It would make you feel better, I'm sure," Remington coaxed, his blue eyes gentle with concern.

"Ohhh alright," Laura agreed, reaching for her jacket.

They walked down the street near their office. Laura's arm was hooked into Remington's. "Laura, are you aware of how many times you and I have taken this same walk?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.

"Too many to recall," Laura answered.

Remington led her over to the fountain, and they set down close together on it's ledge. "Maybe I've been listening to your mother too much, but I think we should have a child. It would convince Immigration that this marriage is true," he suggested.

"As I've told you before, all my friends from college are mothers already and so is Frances. I see myself growing older, and before it's too late, I'd like the experience of raising a child. But yet, it's kind of impossible right now, don't you think?"

"Believe me, Laura, someday we will get this marriage consummated," Remington chuckled. "If I can still perform by then!"

Slowly then their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. After a moment, Remington pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. "Laura, before this goes any further, there's something I must tell you-," Remington began in a serious voice.

"Help me! Somebody please help me!" they suddenly heard a woman's voice crying out.

"Ohhh no! Mother?" Laura gasped, recognizing her mother's voice.

Remington and Laura ran toward the voice as a bulky man was dragging Laura's mother into a building. Running quickly, Remington sprinted toward the building. He turned to look at Laura, but she was no longer following him.

Suddenly a car sped off, and Remington had seen Laura inside. "Dammit! That guy got her!" Remington bit out.


	5. Remington to the Rescue

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter Five~*~

Remington rushed into the building where Laura's mother had been taken in an attempt to rescue her. To his great surprise, she had already escaped her captors and was leaving the building just as he entered. "What-?" Remington gasped in puzzlement.

"Don't just stand there staring at me!" stormed Mrs. Holt. "Go find my daughter!"

~*~o~*~

"Now where, Mr. Steele?" Fred asked as Remington sat in the back of the limo giving directions.

"I don't know. I have very few clues to go on," Remington said with a heavy sigh, almost to the point of giving up and feeling quite sorrowful.

"We've been looking all night and most of today," Fred complained. "I'm getting tired."

"Fred, take me to the underground tunnel. You know where to find it," said Remington. "Being there will make me feel closer to Laura."

Fred did as instructed and less than a half hour later, Remington was walking through the tunnel with a worried frown upon his face. If he didn't find Laura before midnight, her captors were threatening to kill her. The urgency was great, but Remington had no idea what to do.

Crouching down, he took a seat on an old pipe so he could think. There was total silence in the tunnel with only the sound of water trickling somewhere nearby. Just then, Remington saw something flash on the ground from a beam of sunlight. He went to retrieve the object, amazed to see that it was Laura's wedding band. Within the ring was a rolled-up message. It said:

~*~o~*~

Remington,

Please save me. Be at the old Hawkins Manor at eleven o'clock tonight. Don't come earlier than that, or they'll kill me. Tell Mother I'm wearing my red dress.

Laura

~*~o~*~

Remington just sat there, staring at the letter. It was definitely Laura's handwriting. And there was a clue in that last sentence, yet he wasn't sure what it meant just yet. He slipped Laura's ring on his little finger, anxious for that moment when he could it put it back on hers where it belonged.

~*~o~*~

It was nine o'clock. Remington walked over to the office. "Mildred, what can you tell me about the old Hawkins Manor?" Remingon asked as he stepped into the office.

"Just as sec. I'll check it out on the computer," Mildred replied as she began frantically typing. After a couple of minutes, Mildred had a read-out.

"Mr. Steele!" Mildred gasped, after she had looked over the information. "You won't believe what this says!"

"What?"

"The Manor hasn't been occupied in many years as it is believed to be haunted. But strangely, Mrs. Steele used to live there as a child, and her mother is listed as the property owner!" Mildred exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement.

"Thank you, Mildred. That's just the clue I needed," Remington spoke with a dashing smile.

"No problem, Boss," she said before he left the office.

~*~o~*~

Remington made his next stop at his apartment. "Mrs. Holt!" he called out, looking around for Laura's mother.

He searched every room of the apartment but could not find her anywhere. "Just as I suspected," he chuckled as he exited the apartment.

~*~o~*~

At eleven o'clock sharp, Remington showed up at the Hawkin's Manor. He cautiously entered the front door, taking a look inside. He could hear moaning wails, blood-curdling screams, and horrible groans. It sounded like something straight out of a horror movie. He then ducked as he saw a bat come flying down the stairs.

"Laura!" Remington called out, walking into the parlor of the old mansion.

There was no answer. But as he was searching, he came across a note lying there upon a table. It read:

~*~o~*~

Remington,

You'll have to find me. I'm somewhere within this house. Hurry! If you don't find me in time, I'll be dead.

Laura

~*~o~*~

Suddenly a door upstairs began slamming open and closed with incredible force. Remington paid no attention as he began to search through every closet he could find. There on the floor of one closet, he located a shred of red material.

"Bingo!" he shouted, slamming his hand down on the floor.

The slam had triggered a trap-door in the back of the closet. It opened to reveal a pitch-dark, hidden room. "Laura?" Remington called out.

"I'm in here!" she answered back.

Remington took a few cautious steps into the darkness until he encountered what was unmistakably Laura as she settled herself into his arms. "Ohhh darling, are you alright?" he asked her with concern.

"I'm fine. But you've got to get out of here before-."

She was cut off by the closet door slamming quickly shut. Remington pushed against the door with all his strength, attempting to open it. Unfortunately, it would not budge. "We're locked in!" Laura gasped. Laura clung to Remington, her heart beating erratically in the darkness of the small room.

"We've got to get out of here," she said fearfully.

"Relax, Laura," Remington said confidently, reaching into his pocket. "I have my trusty flashlight."

He grasped his little flashlight and flipped the button, but nothing happened. "Bloody dead battery!" he cursed, throwing it across the room with frustration. There was a clang-clang-clang noise as though it were falling down a flight of steps.

"Laura, take my hand," Remington urged.

Placing her hand into Remington's, Laura followed his lead. Remington dropped to his hands and knees, scooting cautiously across the floor, feeling his way along until he came to an area of no floor. His suspicions had been correct. "A-ha! A staircase!" he exclaimed.

Remington and Laura carefully made their way down the stairs in darkness. Laura was very frightened, so she stayed close to Remington as they made their way to the bottom of the stairs. "Everything's going to be alright, Laura," Remington reassured her as suddenly all the lights came on. They were now standing in the basement of the manor. A man came out of nowhere, grabbing Laura from Remington's embrace. Laura shuddered as the man pressed a gun against her temple.


	6. AWM

Author's Note: This is the love story of Remington Steele and Laura Holt. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Remington Steele", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Remington Steele" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

(This story takes place directly after Laura and Remington's farce wedding to keep Remington from being deported as well as their "honeymoon" in Mexico. They must continue to appear happily wed so Remington isn't forced to leave the country by immigration.)

~*~Steele the Best : Chapter Six~*~

Laura bit down sharply on the man's hand just as Remington grabbed the gun. "Tell me where she is!" Remington asked as he pointed the gun toward the man.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" the man denied.

"Where's Mrs. Holt?" Remington growled. "What have you done to her?"

"Here I am," Mrs. Holt spoke up, coming out from her hiding place behind a crate.

"What in the world's going on?" Laura asked Remington in confusion.

"I can explain," Mrs. Holt said to Laura and Remington's great surprise..

"What do you mean 'you can explain'?" Remington demanded.

"Well, it's quite simple, my boy, actually. You see, I love my daughter very much. She's my baby. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her," Mrs. Holt replied.

"What on earth is she talking about?" Laura asked Remington with a baffled expression.

"I don't know, darling," Remington answered. "Let's hear her out."

"Alright. What were you saying, Mother?" Laura asked Mrs. Holt with a sigh.

"I set this up!" Mrs. Holt admitted.

"What?" Laura gasped. "You have got to be kidding!"

"No, honey. You see, Donald's a dentist, and Frances is only a housewife. But I worry about you, Laura. Your job is so dangerous," Mrs. Holt explained. "I just wanted to be sure that your new husband is as good as you say he is."

"Well, Mrs. Holt, are you satisfied?" Remington questioned, lowering the gun.

"Yes, I am quite satisfied. Except for one thing."

"And what would that be?" asked Laura.

"Laura, do change that dress! I just DETEST the color red!" Mrs. Holt declared.

Laura and Remington looked at each other and burst out laughing. "A Worried Mother," Remington said with a chuckle, referring to A.W.M which was how the threatening letters had been signed.

"What's that?" asked Laura.

"Nothing," Remington responded as he exchanged a secret look with Mrs. Holt.

THE END

A/N: Stay tuned for the sequel to "Steele the Best" which is entitled "My Heart You Steele." 


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